• The Office of Competition and Consumer Protection tested 10 models of travel mugs.

• We checked how effective they are in keeping the contents hot or cold, how functional the lids are, and whether they are leak-proof and drop-resistant.

• Almost 230 tests and over 900 results - visit uokik.gov.pl and download the report.

A travel mug is a gadget that comes in handy in various circumstances - not only during a trip to the mountains but also on a hot day at the beach. The mugs retain the temperature of both hot and cold beverages. "Not all manufacturers provide information about the parameters that, from the point of view of consumers, are necessary to make the optimal decision to purchase a product. Therefore, we are continuing our educational project "UOKiK testuje" and this time we are testing travel mugs," said Tomasz Chróstny, President of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection. "In our latest report, we advise consumers on what they should take into account when choosing this type of product.  We checked how long travel mugs retain the temperature of both hot and cold beverages, whether their lids are functional, and whether they are leak-proof. We verified whether the mugs can withstand a drop from 1 meter and whether they become hot when exposed to hot contents. We also checked the actual capacity of the mugs and whether they are dishwasher safe," added the President of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection.

How were travel mugs selected?

Our tests involved 10 models of travel mugs selected on the basis of a nationwide market survey conducted by the Trade Inspection in April 2021 in online as well as brick-and-mortar shops. A price survey was carried out by the inspectors in June 2021. The tests were performed by the employees of the laboratory of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection in Bydgoszcz, which is accredited in accordance with the PN-EN ISO/IEC 17025:2018 standard. All models were tested with the use of the same equipment, in the same way, and under the same conditions. The mugs underwent a total of 228 tests, during which we obtained 904 partial results.

How did we test the mugs and what did we find? Download the report.

A leak-proof mug means no signs of leakage when rotated around its axis, put upside down, and 10 minutes after being put upside down.

The locking mechanism was checked for damage, smooth operation and leakage after 600 lock-and-unlock cycles.

We checked whether the mugs are dishwasher safe by evaluating them after 10 automatic washing cycles in terms of mechanical damage, tarnishing, colour change, fading of prints, scratches on the mug or lid and leakage.

Retaining the temperature of hot beverages, i.e. the temperature of water 6 hours after filling the mug with boiling water.

Retaining the temperature of cold beverages, i.e. the temperature of water 6 hours after filling the mug with cold water (6˚C).

Heating up of the mug, i.e. the external temperature of the mug 5 minutes after filling it with boiling water.

Capacity

After filling the mugs to the top edge, screwing the lids on the mugs and closing them, it turned out that two mugs (Smile STT-11 and Odelo Prestige Breno) were not able to hold the amount of liquid declared by the manufacturer. We noticed that Florina Graves and Salewa mugs were able to hold the largest amount of liquid in relation to the information provided on the label, i.e. as much as 470 ml after screwing the lid on the mug and closing it (the label showed 400 ml).

Locking mechanism in case of frequent use

In none of the mugs tested did we find any damage to the locking mechanism after 600 lock-and-unlock cycles.

CONCLUSIONS

Leakage

In the test, none of the mugs showed any signs of leakage when rotated around its axis, put upside down, and 10 minutes after being put upside down. This means that all of the mugs tested were leakproof.

Temperature retention

The mug that was most effective in retaining the temperature of hot and cold beverages was Fjord Nansen Lando. The Smile STT-11 mug performed the worst in the test. After 6 hours, the temperature of hot water (initially around 95˚C) ranged from 29 to 61˚C, while the temperature of cold water (initially around 6˚C) ranged from 10 to 19˚C.

Dishwasher-safe

After washing the mugs in a dishwasher 10 times, we found that 8 out of 10 mugs showed no visual damage. In the case of the Neverland Explorer and Lamart Manq models, we observed that the black paint slightly flaked off near the top edge of the mugs. In the leakage test, after washing the mugs in a dishwasher 10 times, we did not observe any signs of leakage in any of the mugs.

Heating up of the mug

In 9 out of the 10 mugs tested, the temperature of the outer surface did not exceed 30˚C after filling the mug with boiling water. The mugs in which the outer surface heated up the least were Lamart (24˚C) and Fjord Nansen Lando (24˚C). The mug that became the hottest was Smile STT-11, in the case of which the temperature of the outer surface reached 43˚C after 5 minutes; it would not burn the user holding the mug with a hot drink for a short time, but holding the mug for a longer period may be uncomfortable.

CONCLUSIONS

Durability

Five out of the ten mugs tested, , including Contigo Luxe Autoseal, Fjord Nansen Lando, Neverland Explorer, Salewa, and Smile STT-11, passed the durability test without any reservations, except for small dents and scratches. In the case of the other mugs, apart from slight dents and scratches, we found the following defects: opening of the click-type locking mechanism and water leakage (Odelo Prestige Breno, Martes Floyen), leakage (Lamart Manq), broken lid (Florina Graves), and broken moveable part of the lid (Ambition Podobasz Misie). The defects found did not have a negative impact on the use of the mugs.

The Fjord Nansen Lando mug is the most effective as far as retaining the temperature of hot and cold beverages is concerned and, therefore, received the highest overall quality rating.

For detailed testing methodology, see the test information.

Tips for consumers

Companies sometimes provide information on how long and under what conditions their products retain the temperature of the liquid on the packaging. Pay attention to this before making the purchase to ensure that the mug meets your needs. Make informed purchase decisions.

How to clean

If you want to wash your travel mug in the dishwasher, check whether the manufacturer recommends this cleaning method on the packaging. If it is not recommended, hand wash the mug. The possibility of disassembling lid components will enable you to wash it more thoroughly.

BPA in travel mugs

The labels of some travel mugs contain information "BPA free". BPA stands for Bisphenol A, substance used in the production of varnishes, coatings and plastic products. BPA improves the properties of materials, e.g. makes them flexible and resistant to damage, but it may be harmful to human health. For this reason, the European Union introduced certain legal restrictions on the use of BPA in the manufacture of varnishes, coatings and plastic materials that come into contact with food. For example, the use of BPA is completely prohibited in the production of polycarbonate bottles and cups for infants and young children.

How to use

The use of travel mugs may seem uncomplicated, but you should always read the instructions for use provided on the packaging and follow the guidelines concerning the use and cleaning of the product. Remember that stainless steel mugs cannot be heated in microwave ovens.

Actual amount of liquid a mug can hold

As our test showed, the capacity of a mug stated on the packaging does not always mean that it can hold such an amount of liquid. Remember that when pouring the drink into the mug, you should leave some space below the thread so that you don't spill the hot drink over yourself or burn yourself with it when screwing the lid on the mug. If you fill the mug with a pre-measured amount of liquid, e.g. a bottle of juice from the fridge or a portion from a café, make sure that your mug will be able to hold it. Note that if you fill the mug with a significantly smaller amount than that declared on the packaging, the temperature of the drink will change more quickly.

You can count on the help of the Trade Inspection

Tomasz Chróstny, President of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection, would like to remind you: “Any reservations concerning the safety and labelling of products can be reported to the Provincial Inspectorates of Trade Inspection”.

If a product is defective, file a claim with the seller. You can do it within the period of two years from the date of purchase. You can request a repair or replacement of goods, a reduction of price, and when the defect is significant - a refund. The lack of receipt does not necessarily prevent you from lodging a complaint successfully. Bank or credit card statements, VAT invoices, and orders placed in an online shop, etc., also constitute proof of purchase.

Remember that in the case of online purchases, you can withdraw from the contract within 14 days (the so-called cooling-off period) and then 14 days to return the product. In the case of goods purchased at brick-and-mortar shops, it won't always be possible to return the goods. It depends on the vendor as well as the terms and conditions and regulations of a given shop. You can learn more about your rights at prawakonsumenta.uokik.gov.pl.

The test results can be downloaded from uokik.gov.pl.

Consumer assistance:

Telephone no. 801 440 220 or 22 290 89 16 – consumer hotline
E-mail: porady@dlakonsumentow.pl
Consumer Ombudsmen – in your town or county
Trading Standards Inspection – in your province

Additional information for the media:

UOKiK Press Office
Pl. Powstańców Warszawy 1, 00-950 Warszawa, Poland
Phone +48 695 902 088, +48 22 55 60 246
E-mail: biuroprasowe@uokik.gov.pl
Twitter: @UOKiKgovPL